Your Scottish News.
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----- Original Message -----
From: Scottie <sco...@cqm.co.uk>
To: <Rampant Scotland Newsletter>
Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2000 12:09 AM
Subject: Scottish Snippets - 26 February 2000
Rampant Scotland Newsletter - Issue Number 150, dated 26 February 2000.
Your weekly insight into what has been happening in Scotland, snipped from
the Scottish media - plus some elements of Scottish culture.
A Web version of this Newsletter, with some graphics and newspaper-style
layout is available at http://www.RampantScotland.com/letter.htm
If you have been passed a copy of this Newsletter by someone else, but
would like to receive your own copy direct from Scotland, just send an
email to sco...@cqm.co.uk with "Subscribe" in the subject line.
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CURRENT AFFAIRS
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Delays and Rising Costs for New Parliament Building
The report from the Presiding Officer on the progress with the new
Parliament building being constructed at Holyrood was originally due by the
"end of February" but it now looks as though this will be delayed by
another four weeks. An independent assessment of the project has been
commissioned. There has been speculation that completion of the building
may be delayed until 2003 (originally targeted for autumn 2001) and that
costs, originally estimated at under 100 million pounds had risen to 230
million, including fitting out. Changes to the specification arising from
demands for more space by Members of the Scottish Parliament and the
absence of the Spanish architect, Enrico Miralles, have been blamed for
contributing to the situation. Certainly, there is a singular lack of
activity on the site at present.
Ministers Talk from Different Hymn Sheets
There was some embarrassment as two Scottish Executive Ministers supported
two opposing views this week. The Health Minister was, of course, launching
a healthy eating campaign which was being run on TV this week. Meantime,
the Deputy Minister for Rural Affairs was being supportive of fish and
chips ("pommes frites" or french fries) as part of "National Chip Week." He
described them as "traditional food, nutritious and inexpensive." Clearly
the Minister has not only been listening to the Government policy on
healthy eating. And as for inexpensive, he has clearly not bought fish and
chips himself recently, otherwise he would know the price has escalated in
recent years.
Mixed Views on Devolution
An ICM poll for the Scotsman newspaper asked for opinions throughout
Britain on the new devolved parliament in Scotland and the assembly in
Wales. The survey showed that only 48% of the people in Scotland thought
that - so far - they had been good for the country. But in response to a
question on how much had been achieved, 5% responded "a lot" and 64% " a
little" with 27% believing that nothing had been achieved. Bearing in mind
that the Parliament was officially opened on 1 July last year (and the MSPs
then went off for their summer break), it is perhaps too much to expect
that "a lot" would be achieved.
Scots Feel More Scottish
The results of a survey published this week by the National Centre for
Social Research shows that a growing number of Scots regard themselves as
"Scottish" rather than "British". In 1979, when the survey was first
started, only 56% said they were "Scottish" and 38% "British". Now 77%
consider themselves to be Scottish first, while those regarding themselves
as British had fallen to 17%. But, according to this survey, support for
outright independence has fallen since the Scottish Parliament came into
existence - in 1997 42% supported independence and in 1999 this had fallen
to 31%.
Electioneering Begins at Ayr
The campaign to win the vacant Scottish Parliament seat at Ayr got underway
in earnest this week as Alex Salmond and the Scottish National Party
candidate chose Ayr Racecourse for a media briefing. Mr Salmond, in
addition to being leader of the SNP also acts (with some success) as a
racing tipster on the Herald newspaper. The SNP candidate, Jim Mather who
has had a successful career in the computer industry, claimed a first when
he distributed his campaign literature on compact disc, to somewhat bemused
news reporters..
The Labour candidate was rather "put out" when she was asked to leave Ayr
Farmers' Market - especially as she was being ejected by the Conservative
candidate. But he assured her it was not a political move as the market had
rules prohibit ting electioneering by anyone.
The by-election at Ayr takes place on March 16.
Europe Bans Scottish Banknotes
A report by the European Central Bank (ECB) recommends that if the UK joins
European Monetary Union, Scottish banks should no longer have the right to
issue banknotes - something they have been doing for over 300 years. The
ECB claims that Scottish "Euro" notes would give rise to confusion in the
general public and gives the Scottish banks an unfair commercial advantage
through their ability to "advertise their services through their
banknotes." Apart from their historic value, the Scottish banks point to
the lower costs of circulating their notes in Scotland - the nearest source
of Bank of England or ECB notes is Leeds, in England. Alex Salmond. the
leader of the Scottish National Party (who at one time worked in the Royal
Bank of Scotland as an economist) has been in Brussels and Frankfurt
arguing the case for continuation. He recently showed a Clydesdale Bank
note with an illustration of Robert the Bruce's head saying that the ECB
should "marry unity with diversity."
Bank of Scotland to Sell Australian Bank
The Bank of Scotland looks to be on course to sell their Australian
subsidiary BankWest, based in Perth, Western Australia. The sale of the 56%
owned by the Bank would realise about 500 million pounds (US$800 million)
which is twice the purchase price in 1995. Bank of Scotland say that they
are "looking at options" and that the Board has yet to make a final
decision.
Royal Visit
Queen Margrethe II, the Queen of Denmark, was in Scotland last weekend on a
state visit. The 59-year-old Queen met the Scottish First Minister at
Edinburgh Castle and carried out a number of official engagements.
E-Poet Laureate
A competition sponsored by British Telecom to find Britain's first poet
laureate of the Net has been won by a Glasgow free-lance journalist Kyle
MacRae. His poem "The Coolest Den in Cyberspace" was selected from hundreds
of applicants by the real Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion. His poem begins:
At school this sport was all the rage
To build from scratch the best Web page.
So Newton Smallbones scoured the Net,
To see whatever he could get,
And though he didn't have permission,
This young schoolboy on a mission,
Found and copied loads of stuff,
And when he'd gathered quite enough,
He pasted it with sheer delight,
Into his own cool cybersite.
Gene Factory for Lothian
PPL Therapeutics, the company responsible for cloning Dolly the sheep in
1997, has announced that its factory to produce AAT, a protein used in the
treatment of cystic fibrosis, will be located in Lothian. The protein will
be obtained from sheep injected with the human genes to produce AAT in
their milk. There had been concern that a suitable funding package could
not be set up in Scotland and that the factory would have to be built
abroad.
Witches Blamed for Loss of Phone Mast
There were knowing looks in the village of Carlops, in the Pentland Hills
near Peebles, when a 15-metre high British Telecom Cellnet mast for mobile
phones was dismantled overnight. Nobody was saying who was responsible but
there were dark allusions to the witches of Carlops who were reputed to
leap from the hill where the mast was being erected. Carlops gets its name
from "Kerlin lippis" or "carlin's loups" - witch's leaps. Local residents
had unsuccessfully protested when work on the telecommunications tower had
started. Currently, no planning permission is required for these
monstrosities and despite concerns about radiation risks (as yet unproved)
and environmental eyesores, they keep popping up all over the country (and
towns and cities).
Railway Strike Threat
As part of a long running dispute over safety, the members of the Rail
Maritime and Transport Union approved strike action, involving a series of
one-day strikes which will disrupt services, particularly in Glasgow and
the west of Scotland. Train guards say that new working practices would
downgrade their jobs and could affect safety on trains.
Anger at Loss of Tartan Image
Residents of Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, were up in arms this
week about plans by a hotel chain to strip the tartan image from one of its
ancient hotels. The Caledonian Hotel has been trading since 1780 but in a
"rebranding" exercise the hotel is to be renamed "Jarvis International
Hotel" and the suites which were named after castles of Scotland (Urquhart,
Cawdor, Dunrobin) have been Americanised and are now Presidential, Senate
and Congress. Locals protested that quite apart from local people and
out-of-town Highlanders who patronised the hotel, visitors from abroad did
not come to the Highlands in search of Disneyland or Washington.
Glen Lachart - Latest Tourist Attraction
The web site of the village of Glen Lachart claims it has been designed and
implemented by all 67 residents of the small, yet beautiful, West Highland
village to promote it as Scotland's newest and brightest tourist trap - and
the location for a feature film. Visitors to the site can read about Cair
Duine, the "majestic 8-hole golf course" and the local pub called the Pig
and Bicycle (formerly the Pig and Tricycle but renamed to attract a younger
crowd) and its location - two hours fast drive from the foot of Ben Nevis.
The Glen Lachart Online Website (G.L.O.W.) is certainly lively. But anyone
looking for more information from the Scottish Tourist Board draws a blank
- because the village does not exist! The village is a fictional invention
of screenwriter Barry Hutchinson who is trying to develop a film based on
the village and the local characters. Barry has been amazed at the number
of e-,mails from people wanting to trace their Glen Lachart ancestors...
See http://www.glenlachart.co.uk/ for more information!
Restocking the Silvery Tay
Ghillies are the people who help fishermen land their catch and there is
nothing they like more than to pull in a spring salmon returning to the
river of its birth. But the decline in fish stocks in recent years has
meant that the ghillies on the river Tay are expending more effort in
putting fish into the river than catching them. The Tay Ghillies'
Association have bought holding tanks about the size of small swimming
pools in which 1.3 million eggs will be hatched each year. There are plans
to build another hatchery at Killiecrankie where a business man who is also
a fanatical fisherman has obtained a grant from the Millennium Fund to buy
hatching troughs for two million eggs.
Going "Doon the Watter" on a High Speed Ferry
Going for a sail down the river Clyde used to be a popular trip for many
Glaswegians. The paddle steamer Waverley still takes tourists "Doon the
Watter" in the summer time. But now a Scottish company is proposing to run
high speed ferries from the centre of Glasgow to the Clyde resorts of
Dunoon, Rothesay and Brodick - stopping off at the Braehead shopping centre
at Govan (and close by Glasgow airport), on the way. There would be five
services each day and the vessels being proposed are made by Lockheed
Martin, incorporating a new hull technology called Slice. They can carry
250 passengers at speeds up to 35 knots and would make a significant
reduction on journey times. If approval is given, the new service could be
up and running by the spring of 2002, using three of the new craft.
Ferry Operator Quits Kintyre
The ferry company operating the link between Campbeltown on the Mull of
Kintyre and Ballycastle in Ireland has announced that it is to withdraw the
service, despite offers of financial support from the Government. Sea
Containers say that they have lost half a million pounds and that there is
no prospect of them making the ferry link viable. The route is now
available to other operators.
Buchanan Street "Blob"
An abstract sculpture on a granite base which has stood in Glasgow's
Buchanan Street, now an up-market pedestrianised shopping mall, was a
source of controversy for most of its stay there. Most people referred to
it as "The Blob". It's proper title was "Concept of Kentigern" and
represented a headless bird bursting into life after being revived by St
Mungo (also known as St Kentigern) - symbolising a resurgent Glasgow of 20
years ago. As part of the upgrading, it was announced that the unloved
statue was to be removed. However, a number of groups, from primary
schools to community councils, immediately expressed an interest in taking
over the sculpture. Officials expressed surprise but have yet to decide
where it will end up.
Edinburgh Zoo Not Moving
Despite the financial difficulties posed by the hillside location of
Edinburgh Zoo, a review of options to relocate from its present site has
concluded that the intrinsic value of Corstorphine Hill could not be
ignored. Edinburgh Zoo, one of the city's most popular tourist attractions,
has been there since 1913. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, who
own the site, now have to find ways of obtaining funding to develop the zoo
as a centre of conservation and a visitor attraction of world-class
standing.
French Shocked by Deep Fried Mars Bars
In "National Chip Week" in Scotland, the "Chipper" which is France's only
fish and chip (french fry) restaurant has been the centre of controversy. A
Scottish chef, Ross Kendall opened the outlet in Paris last year but a
recent (complimentary) article by a food expert has got some French
gastronomes stewing at this " insult to Gallic gastronomy." The idea of a
Mars chocolate bar, encrusted in fish batter and deep fried in hot fat has
made some French stomachs churn. And the extra continental touch at "Le
Chipper" of pouring thick cream and strawberry coulis (sauce) over it has
not helped either. The Chipper's menu also includes chocolate-filled
ravioli, so it is not all an entirely authentic Scottish cuisine.
Quadstone First on Nasdaq
The Edinburgh-based software company Quadstone looks set to be the first
Scottish company to be listed on the US Nasdaq stock exchange. Talks have
begun with investment banks about a $500 million (310 million pounds)
public offering within a year. A listing in Europe is still possible but
there are attractions in the technology-dominated Nasdaq and the American
market has become important for the company.
Nessie Helps Cyber Frontiers
There has been a surge in demand for the touch-screen kiosks made by Cyber
Frontiers International after they installed their systems in the "Seeing
Scotland in a New Light" exhibit at the Epcot Centre in Florida. Visitors
launch a virtual tour of Scottish landmarks and events and can control the
presentation by touching the screen which provides 360 degree views.
Animations include a cartoon Loch Ness Monster which guides users round the
kiosk's contents.
Peterhead Prison May Close
It is looking likely that the grim, granite fortress of Peterhead Prison,
on a headland above the harbour, is to be closed. The cost of refurbishing
the prison, which at one time housed some of the toughest convicts in
Scotland, is seen as too high and while the Prison Service will not confirm
it, closure looks increasingly likely. Surprisingly, closure would be
resisted by many in Peterhead as it is one of the major employers in the
area. It is in the constituency represented by Alex Salmond, the leader of
Scottish National Party.
Weather in Scotland in January
The Meteorological Office has published a summary of the weather data for
January in Scotland and the figures show that the month was milder than
normal, everywhere being 1.5/2.5 degrees warmer than usual. Eastern
Scotland had only 50% of its normal rainfall but the north-west had 50%
more than usual. The month started and finished with hurricane-force storms
- 112mph was recoded at Kirkwall in Orkney on 29 January. As is so often
the case, the village of Tyndrum in Stirling retained its record as one of
the wettest places in Scotland with 3.5 inches in 24 hours on 31 January
and a total for the month of 20.6 inches. Paisley had its sunniest January
since records began in 1884.
Weather in Scotland This Week
This was s week of sunshine and showers, some of them quite wintry. On
Wednesday, winds of up to 50mph from the south-west brought milder weather,
with Kinloss on the Moray Firth reaching 55F/13C, the highest temperature
of the week. Colder weather returned, however, and there was more snow in
the Highlands. Aviemore had a maximum daytime temperature of only 36F/2C on
Thursday.
While the sunshine may have been punctuated by showers of rain, the weather
men are reporting that this winter is heading to be the sunniest on record.
The average sunshine in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee for the
months of December, January and February is already 191hours, with four
days of February still to go.
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HISTORICAL AFFAIRS - Topical Items from Scotland's Past
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The Scot Who Spared Washington's Life
The course of the American War of Independence could have been dramatically
changed if a Scot, Major Patrick Ferguson had not been so "gallant and
honorable." He had George Washington in his sights but because he was
behind the future President of the USA and he could not shoot him in the
back, he did not pull the trigger. Ferguson was not just an ordinary
soldier. At a time when muskets were loaded by pushing shot down the
barrel, he had invented a breech loading rifle which could fire six bullets
a minute. Only 100 rifles were made and Ferguson led a company armed with
the new weapons, having been sent over by King George III who had been
impressed by the new rifle. Now, 220 years later, a campaign has been
launched in the US to locate one of his weapons. The Shoals State Park and
the John Sevier State Historic Museum are raising funds in the hope that
they can buy one of the original rifles. There is a replica of the rifle in
the museum of the Royal Scots Greys in Edinburgh.
Fortingall Yew Lives On
The ancient yew tree in Fortingall, Perthshire, which is estimated to be
5,000 years old, is to live on after tree surgeons this week took cuttings
from the surviving branches. These will be grown by the Forestry Commission
at Roslin (near the research lab where Dolly the sheep was cloned) and will
then be planted in woods around the country, including the arboretum at
Scone Palace. There is a local tradition that Pontius Pilate was born near
the yew. While the tree is certainly old enough to have been around at the
time, the Roman invasion of Britain (far less the wilder parts of Alba) did
not start until 43AD. Julius Caesar landed in Britain in 55BC but did not
advance into Scotland.
Edinburgh Fire Service
Members of Edinburgh Fire Brigade dressed up in the uniform of firefighters
of the 1820s this week, to mark the birth of James Braidwood who was the
first firemaster of the "Edinburgh Fire-Engine Establishment" - the first
municipal fire brigade in Britain.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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Tantallon Castle Film Location?
The producers of a projected TV series based on Evelyn Waugh's trilogy
"Sword of Honour" have been scouring Scotland to find a suitable location
for the production. Waugh created a fictional Hebridean island of "Mugg"
for the story of secret commando training - which comes into conflict with
the local laird. Mugg is described as having a castle, an hotel and granite
cliffs. For logistical reasons, the producers want to shoot the drama on
the mainland and Tantallon castle in Lothian is under consideration. It is
hoped that the new production will be as successful as Waugh's "Brideshead
Revisited" which was made a few years ago and made a star of Castle Howard
in Yorkshire.
Humperdinck Gives Fans the Hump
The performance by Engelbert Humperdinck at the Scottish Exhibition and
Concert Centre last Saturday was cancelled at the last minute, much to the
disgust of fans who had bought tickets for the show. Organisers said the
cancellation was due to "unforeseen contractual problems and revised
deadlines of his new album." The concert has been rescheduled for April 27,
but some fans were so upset by the short notice of the change in dates that
they are demanding their money back instead. Humperdinck is due to release
a new single on March 20 and a new album a week later.
Shanghai Comes to Edinburgh
A major exhibition of 19th century Chinese paintings from the Shanghai
Museum has opened at the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Scots were well
to the fore in Shanghai in the days when traders, bankers, sailors, doctors
and engineers made their fortunes there. The unique exhibition of 100
paintings, many in the characteristic form of long narrow scrolls, runs
until 21 May.
Greenock Bids To Hoist Sails Again
Having calculated the beneficial effect to the local economy of 800,000
extra visitors to Greenock to see the Tall Ships Race when it called there
last summer, the local Inverclyde Council are bidding to bring the ships
back again. Further up the river, the City of Glasgow is looking at the
feasibility of hosting the Tall Ships in 2005.
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SPORT
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Sunday and Mid-week Results
Inverness 1 Aberdeen 1 (Tennents Scottish Cup, 3rd round)
Dundee United 4 Alloa 0 (Tennents Scottish Cup, 3rd round)
Motherwell 0 Kilmarnock 4
St Johnstone 1 Hibernian 0
Dundee 1 Aberdeen 3
Scottish Premier League Results - 26 February
Aberdeen 4 Hibernian 0
Hearts 0 Kilmarnock 0
St Johnstone 2 Dundee United 0
Dundee v Rangers will be played on Sunday
Scottish Cup 4th Round - 26 February
Motherwell 3 Ayr United 4
Scottish League Division One Results - 26 February
Airdrie 1 Dunfermline 2
Greenock 1 Clydebank 0
Inverness 0 Falkirk 3
Raith Rovers 1 St Mirren 2
League Tables
Rangers are currently 8 points ahead of Celtic who are, in turn, 12 points
ahead of Motherwell. Kilmarnock are at the foot of the Premier Division
with 19 points, 3 points behind Aberdeen.
Rugby Results - 26 February
Currie 27 Gala 22
Glasgow Hawks 34 Watsonians 12
Hawick 23 Jed-Forest 23
Heriot's FP 24 Kelso 12
Melrose 50 West of Scotland 10
Full Sports Results
A full results and news service for Scottish football is available at
http://www.scottishfootball.com/
A full results service for shinty is available at
http://shinty.com/result.htm
Tommy Burns Returns to Celtic
As rumoured when Celtic manager John Barnes resigned from the club two
weeks ago, former manager Tommy Burns has returned to the club as coach.
But acting manager Kenny Dalglish has emphasised that the club is still
looking for a new manager. Even so, Tommy Burns will be delighted to get
back to Parkhead where he served as both player and manager. He was team
boss in 1995 when Celtic won the Scottish Cup.
Scottish Cup - Quarter Final Draw
The draw for the next round of the Tennents Scottish Cup was made this
week. The matches will be played on 11/12 March. A number of third round
matches ended in draws last Saturday and will require replays to decide
which teams go through. The 4th round matches are:
Motherwell or Ayr United v Partick Thistle
Rangers v Hearts
Hibernian or Clydebank v Berwick Rangers or Falkirk
Alloa or Dundee United v Inverness Caledonian Thistle or Aberdeen
Rugby Reels After Defeat
The Scottish media had a field day this week in the aftermath of the defeat
of the Scotland rugby team 44-22 by Ireland. Scotland had won the European
rugby championship (Five Nations) last year and although a repeat was not
perhaps expected, a defeat by new boys Italy by 34-20 and then losing to
Ireland for the first time in 12 years, resulted in words such as
humiliating, malaise and credibility in tatters, being used. The next game
is against France at Murrayfield on 4 March...
Scottish Curling Championships
The ice rink at the Braehead Centre in Glasgow hosted the Scottish Curling
Championships this week. This was the first major event to be held at the
new facility which has an arena with seats for 4,000 spectators. The
contestants were enthusiastic about the quality of the ice and the
facilities.
English Curling Championships
For the last 20 years the English Curling Championships have been held in
Scotland - because the ice in England is too warm. The rinks in England
cater for ice skaters who prefer the ice to be a lot warmer than for the
sport of curling. So the Championships were held this year at Letham
Grange, near Arbroath.
Scottish Boxing Champion
Ian McLeod from Kilmarnock beat the holder of the British Commonwealth
super-featherweight boxing championship, Mick O'Malley from Australia, last
weekend. O'Malley had been unbeaten until this contest but the referee
stopped the fight in the sixth round. McLeod joins fellow Scots,
featherweight Scott Harrison and welterweight Scott Dixon as Commonwealth
champions - the first time three Scots have simultaneously held such
titles.
Inverness Helps Canada Win
Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who turned Scottish football on its head when
they beat Celtic 3-1 in the Tennents Scottish Cup, have also made a
contribution to the Canada football (soccer) team's efforts in the CONCAFAF
Gold Cup. Richard Hastings, who plays for the Inverness team, missed the
tie against Aberdeen because he was representing Canada at the tournament
in San Diego. Richard scored the winning goal against Mexico in extra time,
putting Canada into the semi-finals. Mexico were the favourites to win the
Gold Cup, having won the contest on the last two occasions. CONCAFAF is an
acronym for the North and Central American countries taking part.
Gary Orr Wins Portuguese Open Championship
Scottish golfer Gary Orr who has not had a tournament win in the last seven
years but he won the Portuguese Open Championship in style last weekend,
finishing with an eagle to snatch the title from behind. He was Rookie of
the Year in 1993 but has been pipped at the post on a number of previous
occasions.
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SCOTLAND THE WHAT?
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St Andrews Day Spectacular at "Briga-dome"
The Millennium Dome in London, built on the Greenwich meridian at a cost of
400 million pound (US$640 million) has been controversial from the start.
Since its official opening on 31 December 1999, visitor numbers have been
lower than expected at the exhibition which is a mixture of science and
entertainment. Because of the distances involved, not many Scots have made
the trip to see what is on offer but the Dome organisers are trying to
attract Scots living in London, as well as those from further afield, by
having a special "St Andrews Day Spectacular" with Scottish entertainment
personalities as guests. Sean Connery, Billy Connolly, Ewan McGregor,
Robert Carlyle,and sporting icons such as Jackie Stewart and Sir Alex
Ferguson have been invited. The event is to be sponsored by MacDonalds -
"Big Mac" of course.
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SCOTTISH QUOTATIONS
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"It takes a wise man to handle a lie. A fool had better remain honest."
Norman Douglas (1868-1952)
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CLAN/FAMILY NAMES
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The clans and family histories which have appeared in this section over the
last few months have been assembled onto a separate Website which now
covers over 50 different names. The URL is
http://scottishculture.About.com/library/weekly/aa070199.htm
Hunter
Hunting was important in the Middle Ages so the occupational name Hunter
arose across most of Scotland, sometimes in a Latinised version of
"Venator". Three Hunter landowners from Paisley were signatories to the
infamous "Ragman Roll" in 1296 when King Edward I of England held a
parliament at Berwick to which he summoned all Scottish landholders to
swear allegiance to him.
But a major strand of the name was a Norman family of Hunters who settled
in Ayrshire in the 13th century, giving their name to the village of
Hunter's Toune - now Hunterston. A parchment, signed by Robert II in 1374
confirming ownership to William Hunter (the 10th owner), still survives
there. The rent was a silver penny and to this day the Laird of Hunterston
keeps silver pennies from the reigns of Robert II - just in case the
monarch drops by looking for the rent!
Yone Venatore witnessed a charter in Beauly in 1231 and Adam Hunter was
granted a hereditary office in the lands of Newbattle Abbey in 1259. In
1327 Maurice Hunter was provost of Stirling and Aymon Hunter was burgess of
Cullen on the Moray Firth.
In the 15th century the Ayrshire family were hereditary keepers of the
royal forests in Arran and Little Cumbrae in the Clyde estuary. John
Hunter, the 14th Laird, died at the Battle of Flodden in 1523 and John's
grandson was killed at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547. The 20th Laird
graduated from Glasgow University in 1643. Robert Hunter, a grandson of the
20th Laird became Governor of Virginia and then New York. Hunterston House,
an elegant manor, was built in the late 18th century. The present chief of
the family, recognised by the Lord Lyon, is the 30th. At one stage the
Hunters of Polmood challenged the precedence of the Hunterston line but
this was rejected as they had never been styled "of that ilk."
Brothers William and John Hunter were born in East Kilbride in the 18th
century. William became an eminent anatomist, improving the teaching of the
subject and advancing the science of gynaecology. William left a medical
and scholarly collection to Glasgow University and they are to be found in
the Hunterian Museum. John was a prominent surgeon in London and in the
army in Portugal. He started a collection of anatomical specimens and by
his death he had 13,000 of these.
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FAMOUS SCOTS
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The notes on some of the famous Scots who have featured in this section of
the Newsletter over the last few months have been gathered together on a
Web page at http://www.RampantScotland.com/famous.htm
Sir Eduardo Luigi Paolozzi (1924 - )
Few of the millions of travellers who pass through Tottenham Court Road
Underground station, and admire the mosaics decorating the walls, realise
that they were designed by a Scot, Eduardo Paolozzi.
Paolozzi was born in Crown Place, Leith, on 7 March 1924, the only son of
Italian parents who owned an ice cream shop in the town. His paternal
grandfather was named Michelangelo but he says that did not influence his
interest in art. He attended Edinburgh College of Art but was called up for
army service during the war. He was later accepted by the Slade School of
Art and it was there that he first became involved with sculpture. He
worked in Paris shortly after the end of WW2. He was influenced by cubist
and surrealist artists but his early works were collages of clippings from
media images, advertisements and comic strips (he had been brought up on a
diet of US films in Leith). He called them "ready-made metaphors for the
dreams of the masses."
As a leading member of the Independent Group of Artists at the Institute of
Contemporary Arts in London, he participated in the "This Is Tomorrow"
exhibition in London in 1956. Paolozzi then developed into abstract
sculpture and won the award for Best Sculptor under 45 at the 1960 Venice
Biennale. He held a one-man show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in
1964. He took an early interest in silk screen printing - the meticulous
detail of his work lent itself to this process. His paintings and screen
prints frequently reflected an interest in science and technology.
He moved to West Berlin in 1974 and was made a member of the Royal Academy
in London in 1979 and was appointed Professor of Sculpture at the Akaemie
der Bildenden Kuenste in Munich in 1981. Paolozzi was knighted in 1989 and
a new Dean Gallery in Edinburgh beside the Gallery of Modern Art contains a
reconstruction of his studio.
In addition to the London Underground mosaics mentioned earlier, other
commissions have included the ceiling panels and window tapestry at Cleish
Castle, the aluminium relief doors for the Hunterian Art Gallery in
Glasgow, a wall relief in the City of Monchengladbach, Germany, the
"Piscator" sculpture in Euston Square London, the cover of Paul McCartney's
album "Red Rose Speedway", a bronze for the Royal Bank of Scotland in
Edinburgh. The display of ancient Celtic artifacts in modern robotic
bronzes at the Museum of Scotland is also striking.
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SCOTTISH HUMOUR
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The jokes which have appeared in this section over the last few months have
been assembled onto a separate Scottish Humour Web Page at
http://www.RampantScotland.com/SCM/humour.htm
Senga was complaining to her friend Mary that nearly every morning she woke
up grumpy. "But some mornings," she said, "I just let him sleep on."
Jimmy was sitting in the bar talking to his friend about how short of money
he was. "Things are so tough, my wife has had to go out and get a job so we
can make ends meet" he said. After a moment he added "Now I suppose I'll
have to think about getting a job too."
Hughie said his wife had always wanted to see the world - so he bought her
an atlas.
Elephant Books
English version - "Elephants I have shot on Safari in the Empire"
Welsh version - "Elephants and their influence on Welsh language and
culture, or, "Oes ysgol tocynnau eleffant llanfairpwll nhadau coeden."
American version - "How to make bigger and better elephants."
Japanese version - "How to make smaller and cheaper elephants."
Scottish version - "How to sell elephants for a lot of money."
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SCOTTISH POETRY and SONG
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Campbeltown Loch
Chorus
O Campbeltown Loch I wish ye were whisky,
Campbeltown Loch och aye!
O Campbeltown Loch I wish ye were whisky,
I would drink ye dry!
Now Campbeltown Loch is a beautiful place,
But the price of the whisky is grim.
How nice it would be, if the whisky was free,
And the loch was full up to the brim!
Chorus
I'd buy a yacht, with the money I'd got
And I'd anchor it out in the bay.
If I wanted a nip, I'd go in for a dip,
I'd be swimming by night and by day!
Chorus
We'd have a gathering of the clans,
They'd come from near and far.
I can see them grin, as they're wading in,
And shouting "Slàinte maith!" (pronounced "slanja va")
Chorus
But what if the boat should overturn,
And drowned in the loch was I?
You'd hear me shout, you'd hear me call out -
"What a wonderful way to die!"
Chorus
But what's this I see, ochone for me,
It's a vision to make your blood freeze.
It's the polis afloat, in a dirty big boat,
And they're shouting "Time, gentlemen please!"
Chorus (twice!)
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BEST OF THE RECENT ADDITIONS TO RAMPANT SCOTLAND DIRECTORY
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Note that many of the sites which have been highlighted here each week for
the last few years have been gathered together into a "Sites in the
Spotlight" Web Page at http://www.RampantScotland.com/hot.htm
Electronic Postcards from Scotland
http://cards.about.com/guidecards/scottishculture/index.htm
A selection of ten Scottish scenes which you can send with a message or
greetings as an electronic postcard. Illustrations range from castles and
Robert the Bruce to the cartoon character Lobbey Dosser.
Scottish Traveller http://www.brockholes.freeserve.co.uk/traveller.html
A well written and illustrated tourist's eye view of the picturesque
fishing villages of the East Neuk of Fife, St Andrews and across the river
Tay into Dundee.
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SCOTTISH QUIZ
********************
Test your knowledge of Scotland with this weekly quiz on all aspects of
Scotland. And even if you don't have a clue, you will learn something about
the country from the answers at the end of this Newsletter!
Q1 What song did Harry Lauder use as the title of his autobiography,
written in 1928?
Q2 Sydney Devine has had only one chart hit (in 1978) in a long career as
a singer. What was the title?
Q3 A Scot was the first Prime Minister of Canada. Who was he?
Q4 When did the Forth Road Bridge open?
Q5 When was the first oil pumped ashore to Scotland from the North sea?
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PLACES TO VISIT in SCOTLAND
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Note that the places to visit which have been highlighted here each week
have been gathered together into a "Places to Visit" Web Page at
http://scottishculture.About.com/library/weekly/aa081599.htm
Inverewe Gardens, Wester Ross
These magnificent gardens were created initially by Osgood Hanbury
MacKenzie began when Osgood and his mother added Inverewe and Kernsary
estates to the Gairloch estate they already owned. This was in 1862 and
Osgood was only 20 years of age. At that time the estate of 12,000 acres
was treeless, windswept and desolate but Osgood and then his daughter Mairi
created a majestic garden full of plants from all over the world. While the
poor soil did not help them ("Put a spade down six inches and you hit solid
Scotland" says the current administrator) they were blessed with the warm
waters of the Gulf Stream which reaches the west of Scotland in that area.
A sandstone walled garden, was one of the first parts of the garden to be
built and now contains a wide herbaceous border, designed to provide an
extended flowering time.
Having planted a large variety of trees to shelter the plants, clearings
were made in which smaller plants such as rhododendron, magnolias,
eucalyptus, cherry, choysia and Japanese maples would flourish. The garden
contains the National Collection of Rhododendron Barbatum, a scarlet Winter
flowering variety with a brilliant blood red trunk and the National
Collection of Olearia and Braccyglottis
In 1952, Mairi handed over the Inverewe estate, together with a generous
endowment, to the National Trust for Scotland. Inverewe is by far the most
popular garden in Scotland. In fact it is the only National Trust property
which does not make a loss. Inverewe Garden is located near the village of
Poolewe in Wester Ross and is open to the public every day of the year.
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SCOTTISH RECIPES
**************************
Here is a simple recipe for making a traditional Scottish dish which is
still popular either hot, or cold at picnics.
Scotch Eggs
Ingredients:
1lb sausage meat
5 hard boiled eggs, with shells removed
1 large raw egg
3oz approx of dry breadcrumbs
Pinch of mace, salt, freshly ground pepper
Small quantity of flour
1 tablespoon water
Method
Dust the hard boiled eggs in a little flour. Mix the mace, salt and pepper
with the sausage meat and divide into five equal portions. Place on a
floured surface. Wrap/mould the sausage meat round the egg, making sure
there are no gaps. Beat the egg and water together and coat the
meat-covered egg with this and then breadcrumbs (you may have to press the
crumbs onto the meat). Deep fry in hot oil (360F/185C) taking care as you
put the eggs into the oil. Cook for about 5/6 minutes. If you don't have a
deep fat fryer, they can be cooked in oil in a frying pan, turning
frequently to ensure the meat is fully cooked.
Drain and serve hot or allow to cool and keep in a refrigerator for a cold
snack later.
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PARLIAMO GLESCA
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A collection of the words which have appeared in this section have been set
up on a web page at http://www.RampantScotland.com/SCM/glesca.htm
This week, here are some words dealing with hands and feet.
"Pinkie" - little finger. (I had to check the English dictionary to confirm
that this is an ethnic Scots word. It is widely used in Scotland and North
America and other parts of the world where Scots have settled).
"Pirlie-winkie" and "Peerie-winkie" - also words describing the small
finger. "Peerie-winkie" can also be used for the small toe.
"Corrie-fisted" and "skerry-handit" and "skibby" and "southie" all mean
left-handed.
"Ragnail" - a hangnail or loose piece of skin at the side of a fingernail.
"Bowly-leggit" - bandy legged.
"Spurtle-leggit" - having very thin legs (like a "spurtle" or porridge
stick)
"Tickie-taed" - pigeon-toed.
"Girse-gawed" - cuts or cracks between the toes.
"Gutter gaws" - a sore on a foot.
Scottie
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Rampant Scotland - the largest directory of Scottish links!
http://www.RampantScotland.com
About.com - a selection of the BEST Scottish links!
http://scottishculture.About.com
********************************************************************
ANSWERS TO THE SCOTTISH QUIZ ABOVE
Q1 "Roamin' in the Gloamin'"
Q2 "Scotland Forever"
Q3 Sir John Alexander MacDonald
Q4 September 4 1964. At 6,156 feet long it was the longest in Europe at
that time.
Q5 June 11 1975
Kyle MacRae
The complete version can be found at
www.kooks.freeserve.co.uk/poem.htm and I am, of course, open to
commissions...
[...]
>E-Poet Laureate
>A competition sponsored by British Telecom to find Britain's first poet
>laureate of the Net has been won by a Glasgow free-lance journalist Kyle
>MacRae. His poem "The Coolest Den in Cyberspace" was selected from hundreds
>of applicants by the real Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion. His poem begins:
>At school this sport was all the rage
>To build from scratch the best Web page.
>So Newton Smallbones scoured the Net,
>To see whatever he could get,
>And though he didn't have permission,
>This young schoolboy on a mission,
>Found and copied loads of stuff,
>And when he'd gathered quite enough,
>He pasted it with sheer delight,
>Into his own cool cybersite.
[...]